What A Cool Bank

I love this story which my mother just e-mailed me and immediately wanted to post it. I wish more of these stories were shared so people could hear about all the great things companies do in their communities. My employer has never done anything on such a large scale but they make an honest effort to give back in meaningful ways too. Too often stories of corporate greed and deception come to mind so kudos to Michael Solberg and State Bank & Trust. Here is to hoping that their efforts are acknowledged and others will follow their lead.

Bank to employees: Pay it forward

FARGO, North Dakota (AP) -- A bank is giving its full-time employees $1,000 each and part-time employees $500 each. There's one condition -- use it for people in need. State Bank and Trust Chief Operating Officer Michael Solberg said each full-time employee will receive $1,000 and each part-time employee will receive $500, as part of a $502,000 "Pay it Forward" initiative. "We're going to really see some huge impact on our community," Solberg said.

Employees were told not to use the money for themselves, their families or families of other bank employees. The bank asked each employee to document the good deed with a video camera. The deadline is June 30. The employees were told they may choose an individual cause, pool their money for a larger project or collaborate with donors outside the bank. The privately owned bank has more than 500 employees, he said. The bank made the announcement over the weekend.

In previous years, the Fargo-based bank has taken 5 percent of the company earnings and divided it up at holiday time among employees.